Changes
by Joy726
Summary: COMPLETE! Chapter 8 is up. Things are changing for Sara and Grissom. Warning GS. Casefile. PG-13 for some language. I'm really bad at summaries :)
1. Chapter 1

Title: Changes

Author: Joy

Rating for Chapter One: PG

Disclaimer: I don't even own a car.

Spoilers: All episodes up to Bloodlines (season four finale) are fair game.

A/N: A huge thank you to Alison and Alicia, my betas. Any mistakes still in here are all mine.

Sara sat on the semi-comfortable chair in the waiting room of the station. Her pose seemed to be one of deep contemplation. She was hunched forward slightly with her elbows on her knees, hands pressed together in front of her face as if in prayer.

Sara thought back on the events of the evening. The officer that had pulled her over had been nice enough though slightly condescending. Would anyone believe it? A smart science nerd that was dumb enough to get busted for driving under the influence of alcohol. She heard footsteps and low voices coming closer from the hall.

They had impounded her car and brought her back to the station. When the officer had told her that he was going to be calling her supervisor she had wanted to beg him not to do that. Sara valued her pride, bruised as it was, and hadn't given into temptation, choosing instead to face Grissom head on.

"I appreciate the courtesy." To her horror Grissom's voice came from directly outside the door.

As the officer retreated quietly she sensed Grissom looking at her from the doorway. When he slowly started to enter the room Sara brought her hands down from her face, keeping her eyes staring straight ahead.

He sat down next to her and she wanted to know what he was thinking. A small part of her didn't want to know, but hiding had never been her style. Sara could feel him looking at her and wondered why he had not started the lecture she knew was coming. Grissom did something then that she would never in a million years have expected. He took her hand and said, "Come on, I'll take you home."

Sara's head dropped forward in defeat. 'No lecture? But that's what he does! He doesn't display affection!' She had learned to deal with his calm detachment but how was she supposed to respond to a gentle Grissom?

Sara took a deep breath and considered her options. She would not be able to get her car until the following day. She could call a cab, no. 'I can do this,' Sara thought. She gave a small nod and stood up, slipping her hand out of his in the process.

Grissom stood next to her and looked into her face. Finally she raised her eyes and looked directly into his. Concern shone out mingled with another emotion that she could not, and would not identify. Again this was not what she expected. There was no disappointment, censure, reproach, and no negativity at all.

Sara looked away and moved to step around him. He turned to follow and took her elbow, apparently unwilling to relinquish some sort of hold on her. As they walked out of the building together Sara kept getting the feeling that he was being protective of her, thought she didn't understand why. She hadn't gotten hurt, she had just made a bad choice.

Then all of the sudden a thought struck her. Had Brass told Grissom about his suspicions? Regardless of what Brass thought Sara did not have a drinking problem. Not only was alcohol a depressant, which she definitely did not need, it also made people lose control. She would deny it out loud, but the fact was that Sara Sidle was a control freak. Considering everything she had kept to herself it wouldn't have been wise to allow the effects of alcohol to reveal what she had worked so hard to keep hidden.

'Is he being nice to me out of pity?' she wondered. 'Does he think that he should coddle me because he thinks that I'm a drunk?' The questions just kept coming faster and faster until she was thoroughly pissed off by the time they reached his vehicle.

JJJJJJJ

As Grissom walked by Sara's side with his hand cupping her elbow, he could feel her mood shift. Outwardly she gave nothing away. It amazed him how in tune he could be with her and yet unable to connect. Unable, or unwilling? He wasn't so sure anymore. Reaching out and taking her hand, and later her elbow was easier than he had thought it would be. What if the rest was just as easy? What if he was making it unnecessarily hard?

He shook his head. His mind was rambling. It didn't help that with every step Sara was becoming increasingly irate. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was directed at him, though he wasn't sure what he had done wrong in the last five minutes.

A horrible thought occurred to him. Maybe she didn't want him to touch her. He considered releasing her arm, no. If she didn't like it, well tough. He had finally touched her, all on his own. If she wanted him to let her go she was going to have to say so. Until then he would do as he pleased. To punctuate this thought his hand tightened on her arm possessively.

Despite all this, Grissom was beginning to worry. Sara wasn't one to hold back her anger and she still had not spoken a word.

When they reached his Denali he moved to open the passenger door for her. He stepped back to let her climb in, and turned to look at her when she didn't proceed. She was looking right at him now. He could tell she was trying to organize her thoughts and decided to wait for her to speak.

JJJJJJJ

"Grissom." Sara fought to keep the anger out of her voice. She wanted to know what was causing his change in behavior but she didn't want to come across as hostile. Her head dropped forward repeating her earlier movement. "What is going on here?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. She could tell that he knew exactly what she meant. Grissom looked into her eyes and she prayed that he wouldn't see how truly vulnerable she was to him in that moment.

"Sara we have a lot to talk about." She nodded slowly in agreement. "And I would rather not discuss it in the parking lot of the police station."

She winced slightly, fully aware of what had brought them there. He lifted his hand to her face, and traced her lips with his thumb. Sara's mind went blank at his touch.

"One thing I can say is that things are going to be changing around here," he continued.

'Ah, here it is. The speech I've been waiting for. I'm surprised that he was able to hold out this long,' she thought as she looked at him expectantly. No words were forthcoming however and he just turned her towards the Denali, and helped her inside before firmly closing the door. Sara sat very still trying to sort out the last few minutes as he walked around to climb into the driver's seat. Once inside he started the engine.

"Do you want to talk about this now, or after you've had some sleep?"

Sara considered his question. She didn't think that she would be any better equipped to deal with this after sleeping, assuming she could sleep. "Now, I suppose."

Grissom smiled, he hadn't thought that she would put off this discussion. "Well," he said as he turned to her, "only one question remains."

Sara lifted an eyebrow at his suddenly playful tome and looked at him questioningly.

"Your place, or mine?"

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

> "Your place or mine?" The question was asked lightly but Sara took it very seriously. If they went to his place she could leave if…hell. She never knew what to expect anymore. If they went to her place she would be stuck until he decided that he was ready to go. While she didn't think that he would seriously refuse to leave if she asked him to, she did know how stubborn he could get. He could be almost as stubborn as she could.
> 
> "Mine." At least she could be comfortable in her own home. 'Besides once the conversation gets to personal he'll run for the door,' she thought with a smirk. The smirk disappeared once she realized that he had touched her lips, and held her hand and her elbow. That was more contact in ten minutes than the last ten months.
> 
> Sara looked over at him as he drove. As her anger began to fade her confusion mounted. Not only about Grissom, but about a lot of other things. Sara knew what everyone was going to think. Brass had thought she had a drinking problem, and so would the others. It is what she would have thought. That was the most disturbing thing of all.
> 
> Deciding not to examine that too closely at the moment, Sara opened her mouth to give Grissom directions to her apartment, but then she thought better of it. 'Let him ask.' She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. A few minutes later the Denali came to a stop. She smiled, eyes closed, waiting for him to ask for directions.
> 
> "We're here." Sara's eyes snapped open in surprise. Sure enough they were parked in front of her building. She unbuckled her seat belt and slid out of the passenger seat. Grissom followed suit and walked around the vehicle to stand next to her. "Are you sure that you want to do this right now?" he asked as his gaze took in the dark circles under her eyes.
> 
> Sara nodded her consent and started walking toward the front of the building. Grissom took her hand lacing his fingers with hers and matched her pace. When they got to the door she punched in the security code and went inside. Sara nodded in the direction of the elevators, "I'm on the fourth floor." With their hands still linked together they waited in silence for the elevator to arrive.
> 
> They remained silent throughout the ride upstairs and down the hall to her apartment. Once inside Sara shed her coat and headed for the kitchen.
> 
> "Do you want anything to drink?" she asked while preparing to make coffee for herself.
> 
> "Coffee is fine." He missed the feel of her hand in his. Grissom stood still next to the island in her kitchen and looked around until the clink of cups brought his attention back to Sara. She poured his and gestured to the cream and sugar that he should help himself. Having adjusted their coffee Sara led him to the couch.
> 
> As they settled back getting comfortable, Sara looked at him expectantly. She seemed content to let him run the show for now. He took a moment to collect his thoughts.
> 
> "Sara. I'm not going to jump to conclusions. Why don't you tell me what happened tonight and we'll work backwards from there."
> 
> Sara nodded. "Fair enough. Warrick asked Nick and I if we wanted to get some dinner. We both declined and we all went our separate ways." She didn't see the point in mentioning the short discussion with Nick. "When I was heading back to my car I realized that I actually was hungry. So I stopped into a restaurant and I ate dinner and drank a few beers. I knew that I had drank more than I should have but I felt okay."
> 
> "Just a few?" Unknowingly, Grissom repeated Brass' words from a few months ago. Realizing that he expected more Sara elaborated.
> 
> "I drank one before my food came, two with dinner, and one more after I ate while I was watching the news at the bar." He quirked an eyebrow. "I ate at the bar in the restaurant since I was alone."
> 
> Grissom nodded absorbing this. "Do you have a drinking problem?" he asked.
> 
> Sara jerked in surprise. For some odd reason she had not expected him to be so straightforward, and she certainly hadn't expected him to ask her. She thought back over the last year trying to remember all of the times she'd drank at all. She did not drink everyday, rarely did she even drink once a week. Sara had not been drunk since she was in college. She had had the occasional drink since Brass had offered his advice, but only with dinner and only on her nights off. She did not want to be unprepared for another early rollout.
> 
> Grissom gave her time to think knowing that she was taking his question seriously and would give him an honest answer. If she said yes he would everything he could to help her. Assuming that she would let him. If she said no…he would believe her but he would stand by his earlier statement. Things were going to change.
> 
> Sara turned to him and looked him straight in the eyes. "I don't have a drinking problem. I just made a bad judgment call tonight. Nothing more, nothing less." She waited for his response. He searched her eyes hoping that he could see more than what her statement revealed. He found what he was looking for and nodded.
> 
> "Okay." Sara released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. He believed her. It gave her hope that once the news got back to the rest of the night shift that maybe they too would believe her. Even if they didn't believe her then just knowing that Grissom did would help her through this.
> 
> "But," she paused trying to decide whether or not she should continue, "I'm not happy here anymore. I'm isolated in my personal life, which is my own decision so I'm okay with that. However, recently I've become isolated at work as well. I'm not a yo-yo Grissom. You can't just pick and choose when you are going to ignore me and when I'm worthy of your attention. It isn't fair and it is making things incredibly tense. I hope you are serious about things changing Grissom because I can't work like this for very much longer."
> 
> Grissom sat there listening to her words. She spoke fast as though if she slowed down she might not have the courage to finish. A wave of guilt crashed over him. He had known what was happening and had not been able to stop it. He went in to work everyday with a new resolve to make things right but the moment he saw her he just couldn't help himself from giving her the cold shoulder to protect himself.
> 
> As per usual Grissom's expression was unreadable. Sara closed her eyes and steadied herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…well…I meant what I said but I think that maybe this is the wrong time to bring it up."
> 
> "Don't be sorry, Sara. You're right and I'm sorry. I really don't know if I can explain why I've been like this. The only thing that I know for certain is that I am serious about things changing. Starting right now."
> 
> TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

> (1:00 AM the next night)
> 
> The sound of glass shattering pierced the night. A dark figure stood unmoving next to the elementary school window listening intently for the shrill sound of sirens. After a few moments of silence the man crouched down and opened the black duffel bag at his feet. He pulled out a pair of black driving gloves and closed the bag. While pulling on the gloves he examined the jagged edges of the broken glass.
> 
> After unlatching and opening the window he climbed inside, being careful not to jostle the contents of the duffel, and trying not to cut himself on the shards. Looking around he quickly realized that he stood in a classroom. The room was colorful and spoke of innocence with children's drawings decorating the walls along with oversized letters of the alphabet. He spotted the door leading to the hallway and moved quickly through the maze of miniature desks toward it. The man walked quickly, his footsteps echoing loudly in the deserted hallway. His destination was a broom closet in the core of the school where it had been decided that he would leave the package.
> 
> He looked around noticing the various cleaning supplies on the shelves and briefly wondered how the chemical would affect the blast. He placed the duffel bag on the floor next to a plastic mop bucket and opened it once again. He hesitated only a second before setting the timer for thirty minutes and switching on the small device. Quickly he made his way back to the window that he had come in through. He surveyed the scene outside of the window making sure that no surprises awaited him. Satisfied that the police had not been called, he climbed through the window and dropped silently to the grass.
> 
> He crouched low and close to the building as a black car traveled slowly down the otherwise empty street. The car rolled to a stop and sat idling about twenty feet away from where the man knelt. With one last look at the window, he jogged over to the car and got in the passenger seat. The car pulled away from the curb and continued down the street, red taillights glowing in the darkness.
> 
> (11:00 PM Earlier that night)
> 
> Sara walked into the crime lab with her shoulders back and head held high. She figured that word would have gotten out already and she was determined not to let it bother her. She went straight to the locker room and put her bag away. Sara took a deep breath and grabbed her badge, then headed for the break room.
> 
> As usual Sara was the first to arrive for assignments. She poured herself a cup of hot coffee and sat down with a magazine. Grissom's words from the night before floated through her mind and she smiled. She hoped that things would change and that their problems weren't so far gone that they couldn't at the very least resurrect their friendship. Sara believed that he was willing to try, but she just worried that he would decide that it was too hard or complicated and would just settle for friendship, or worse nothing at all.
> 
> She shook her head. She would trust him; after all if they didn't trust each other they wouldn't get very far. Lost in thought Sara didn't hear Nick and Warrick coming down the hall towards the break room. They walked into the room and silently observed Sara shaking her head to herself. They shared a smirk and sat down opposite her.
> 
> "Sara I heard something about you," Nick said frowning.
> 
> "Yeah, I head -" Warrick broke off as Catherine and Grissom walked in. sara took a deep breath to brace herself. "Hey guys," he nodded at the two before continuing, "I head about what happened yesterday."
> 
> Grissom started to intervene but Sara shook her head. She may as well get this over with. She had nothing to hide and she thought that they would believe her side of things.
> 
> "You were the talk of the station Sara. Detective Vartan has been bragging about you to everybody." Sara blinked in surprise, her gaze flew to Grissom's His face registered confusion as well.
> 
> "Yeah, I think he might have a crush on you Sara. He can join Greg and David in the Sara Sidle Fan Club," Nick chimed in with a wide grin on his face. This earned a frown from Grissom.
> 
> Warrick continued as though Nick hadn't spoken, "He said that when Coombs came flying out of that trailer with a shotgun you were cool, calm, collected, and professional. You just pulled your weapon and kept the suspect covered while Vartan got him to drop the shotgun and cuffed him. He said that you didn't even blink let alone panic when you were staring down the barrel."
> 
> "I've had a gun pointed at me twice and I lost it both times. I'm proud of you Sara. He said after the guy was cuffed you just went to work." Nick grabbed her coffee cup and lifted it in salute.
> 
> "Sara, I didn't know about that! Were you okay? Are you okay?" Catherine asked, mild concern evident in her voice.
> 
> "I was fine. I _am _fine. I wasn't a big deal." Shit. She had forgotten about that. Sara looked over at Grissom wondering how he was reacting. She had gotten so wrapped up in the evidence that she forgot to tell him.
> 
> "Sara we're glad that you are alright but you're going to have to fill out an incident report. You'll need to do it right away so that you don't forget." Grissom's lips twitched slightly.
> 
> She let out a relieved breath. He didn't seem mad or upset. Next she began to feel irritated. 'Is this how it is going to be? Do I have to be afraid that one wrong move will send us into a backslide?' She quieted her inner voice as Grissom started handing out assignments.
> 
> "Catherine, Nick; you have a DB in a hot tub at the YMCA. Warrick; a robbery at a Quickee mart, third hit this month. Sara, fill out that incident report and then see if Warrick wants help. I've got a meeting to attend and then I'll check in with you guys."
> 
> Everyone filed out of the break room. Nick, Catherine, and Warrick headed for the exit and Sara and Grissom turned in the other direction to his office. Once inside Grissom turned questioning eyes to her.
> 
> Sara smiled faintly. "I forgot."
> 
> He tilted his head to the side in disbelief and stepped behind his desk. "You forgot that a suspect waved a shot gun in your face?" he asked as he rifled through some folders in a drawer.
> 
> "Yeah, when I found the car that belonged to the other victim I forgot all about it. Then…stuff happened," she finished with a shrug. "It really wasn't a big deal but I didn't even think about having to file a report."
> 
> He finally pulled a folder out of the drawer. He handed her a form from the folder and she looked down at it.
> 
> "You can't sneeze around here without filing a report so I don't know why I didn't think about it." She held up the paper. "Thanks. I'll put it on your desk when I'm done." Sara headed for the door.
> 
> "Sara." She looked back at him waiting for him to continue. "How are you?" He wince inwardly at how stupid the question sounded. She turned to face him fully with a small smile on her face.
> 
> "I'm okay. Actually, I feel better about things than I have in a while." He smiled.
> 
> "If you need anything, Sara…" he trailed off. Sara nodded; he didn't have to finish the thought because she knew he meant it. With a man as unrevealing as Grissom just those few words conveyed a lot.
> 
> She opened her mouth to respond but she couldn't think of anything adequate to say. She nodded again and settled for a quiet "Thank you." With that she quietly left Grissom's office. Sara thought back to the night before, when shortly after informing her that things were going to change he ordered her to rest and left with a promise that they would continue later. Still remembering, she headed back to the break room to fill out the report, walking with a small bounce in her step.
> 
> TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A huge thanks to Alison and Alicia for their beta work. Thanks to everyone for the reviews! I love feedback!! 

> (1:00 AM)
> 
> On the east side of Las Vegas an elementary school was being entered illegally. Four miles away three men dressed in army fatigues sat silently in a parked car staring at a two-story house. They studied the darkened windows while they waited for a signal from their partners.
> 
> "Are both of you nervous?"
> 
> "Danny, we've been through this. If you wanted to back out you had your chance."
> 
> "I didn't say I want to back out Ron. I just asked if you guys were nervous." Danny's voice rose steadily as he talked.
> 
> "Shut up," the harsh tone from the third member of their group startled them.
> 
> Danny opened his mouth prepared to shout but one look had him lowering his voice to a near whisper. "Sorry. It's just...it's just that I've never done anything like this before and I'm a little nervous. Hey, Jake, have you done this before?" Jake shot him another annoyed look. "I just mean how do you know about all this stuff?"
> 
> Jake glared at Ron. "Keep your brother quiet."
> 
> Danny looked like he was ready to let loose with a string of questions and Ron slapped him in the back of the head from his position in the back seat. "No questions Danny. The less we know about each other the better. Let's just wait for the call." They all turned their attention back to the house.
> 
> The two-story structure was located in an upscale neighborhood. Despite this, or maybe because of it there was very little security used. There were no fence around the property, only bushes separated one lawn from the next. The sidewalk ran from the street up to the front porch steps and branched off to circle to the back of the house. No bars adorned the windows and the owners had even left some of the blinds open.
> 
> After five minutes of observing the house they heard a low buzzing noise. Jake fished his cell phone out of his pocket and read the display. He nodded his head and turned off the phone. "Okay, let's go." All three men exited the vehicle and softly closed the doors.
> 
> They started up the sidewalk to the dark house. Ron and Danny each went around one side of the house while Jake walked straight up to the front door. He found the spare key and let himself into the silent house, stopping to listen for movement. Hearing no one he methodically looked in every room on the ground floor to make sure that the occupants were both upstairs. Once he had checked every room he went to the back door and let the others in. They gave him a thumbs up letting him know what it was all clear.
> 
> Jake motioned for them to follow him and he led them to the front of the house smoothly maneuvering his large frame between the furniture. At the bottom of the stairs Jake took the black bag that Danny had been carrying. He opened it and withdrew three sets of black driving gloves and three black ski masks. After donning the gear Jake pulled a nine millimeter handgun out of the waistband of his pants. He loaded a round into the chamber and took the safety off.
> 
> Danny and Ron stood staring at him with their eyes wide with shock. He zipped up the bag and shoved it into Danny's chest. He jerked the gun towards the stairs and started climbing. The other two exchanged worried glances and followed. They moved silently through the darkness, checking each room upstairs as Jake had downstairs.
> 
> Finally they reached the last bedroom. The three stood outside of the door and listened intently for movement inside the room. The house remained deadly quiet. Jake reached a hand forward and grasped the doorknob while bringing his hand with the gun up to point straight ahead. He looked back at Danny and Ron to confirm that they were ready. They each gave a small nod and Jake slowly turned the doorknob in his hand. He pushed the door open an inch at a time and scanned the room, looking for its occupants.
> 
> The door stood completely open. A king sized bed stood in the middle of the large bedroom and two figures lay sleeping under the blankets. Jake moved to the larger figure and waved Ron to the smaller of the two. They looked down at the sleeping couple. The man was probably in his mid to late fifties and the woman in her early fifties. They were both on their backs with their arms down at their sides.
> 
> Jake waved his hand to get Ron's attention. Ron looked up and nodded indicating that he was ready to proceed. Moving simultaneously they both leaned forward. Jake quickly pressed his hand over the man's mouth and his eyes flew open in sleepy confusion. Jake held up the gun for the man to see. Stark fear replaced the confusion and his eyes shifted to his wife.
> 
> Ron was holding his hand over her mouth in a similar fashion. Her eyes were wide with terror and filled with tears.
> 
> (11:30 PM, earlier that night)
> 
> Sara finally signed her name to the incident report and rubbed her eyes. She hated paper work in any way, shape, or form. Standing up, she stretched her tense neck muscles. Sara picked up the sheet of paper and walked to Grissom's office. He wasn't back from his meeting yet so she laid the paper on his desk and walked out into the hall. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed Warrick's number.
> 
> "Warrick."
> 
> "Hey. Do you need help at the scene?" she asked.
> 
> "Definitely. How soon can you be here?" He sounded distressed.
> 
> "Warrick, are you okay?" Sara had visions of him being held at gunpoint.
> 
> "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just-" he was interrupted by a very high pitched screech. "I can't believe I got robbed again!! When are you good for jack shit cops gonna get your shit together and do something about this goddamn shit!" Sara assumed the woman was walking away from Warrick since her tirade did stop but quieter.
> 
> "You gotta come help me Sara."
> 
> She laughed. "Alright, give me the address and I'll be there in a few minutes." Warrick gave her the information and another plea for her to hurry. As she disconnected the call she noticed Grissom walking into his office.
> 
> Sara hurried after him and stopped in her usual spot in the doorway and watched him settle back into his chair and fiddle with his glasses. "Hey."
> 
> Grissom looked up from the frames in his hands in surprise. "Hi." Sara frowned at his distracted tone.
> 
> "How did your meeting go?"
> 
> Grissom just stared at her.
> 
> "You know, the meeting you said that you had to go to?"
> 
> Grissom nodded. "It...uh...it was fine."
> 
> She shook her head. It was probably too much to expect that he would change overnight. 'Patience, Sara, patience,' she reminded herself. "I'm headed out to help Warrick. I put the form on your desk."
> 
> He looked at her in confusion and panic. "What form?" "Grissom, the incident report? Shotgun? Ringing any bells for you?" She exhaled irritably and stepped into his office and closed the door. "Grissom, what's wrong? You're acting stranger than usual."
> 
> He smiled at that and sighed. "Nothing is wrong...yet. I need to talk to you about it but it'll keep until later. Go help Warrick. I'm going to finish a few things here and see if Nick and Catherine need help."
> 
> She looked at him warily. If he _needed_ to talk to her it must be bad. If he wanted to put it off it must be worse than bad. "Is it about me getting pulled over last night?"
> 
> Grissom shook his head. "It has nothing to do with that. Go on, we'll talk later. It isn't bad."
> 
> 'Wonderful. Now he's reading my mind.'
> 
> "And I'm not reading your mind. I can tell by the look on your face that you're worried. Now go." He turned back to the pile of paper work on his desk. Sara grinned wondering how he could be so in tune with her and claim not to understand people.
> 
> TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

(11:30 PM)

Grissom watched from under lowered lashes as Sara grinned and turned to leave his office. As soon as she was out of sight he dripped the pretense of working on paperwork and sat back in his chair. He took off his glasses and tossed them onto the desk. Rubbing his tired eyes he sighed in frustration.

He should have been suspicious when Director Robert Carvallo had announced that there would be a meeting at eleven pm but he had figured that it was because he forgot to go to the day meetings. He had not been expecting an ambush. Grissom sat back in his chair as the meeting replayed in his head.

Grissom walked down the hall towards Carvallo's office thinking about Sara. He didn't know what bothered him more; the fact that Sara could have been killed and it didn't even faze her or that Detective Vartan was interested in her. He was saved from making a decision by Carvallo opening his office door.

"Come in Gil."

He stepped inside and his eyes narrowed when he saw the room's third occupant; Conrad Ecklie.

"Gil." Ecklie nodded at him.

"Conrad." Grissom turned to Carvallo. "I wasn't told the purpose of this meeting."

"I know Gil. Have a seat and we'll get started."

Grissom sat on the chair opposite Ecklie and Carvallo took his place behind the desk.

"Day shift's second in command is leaving. He put in his two weeks notice yesterday." Carvallo began. "Conrad doesn't feel that anyone else on the days is ready for this position. He wants to offer it to one of your guys."

"Well," Grissom paused. "Nick was recommended for the lead CSI position. You're welcome to offer him the option of going to the day shift." Despite having said this Grissom didn't think that they brought him here to ask his permission to promote Nick.

Ecklie and Carvallo shared a look.

"I want Sara."

'Yeah, you and me both,' Grissom thought to himself as he studied Ecklie for a moment as he continued to speak. "I don't know why you recommended Nick and not Sara, but I want to have someone with her drive and dedication."

"You want someone with her solve rate to make up for the rest of your shift Conrad."

"Her solve rate is a bonus I admit but so is her willingness to work with other law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and Treasury. She has also worked well with both the swing and day shifts without being hostile, which is more than I can say for you," Ecklie added snidely. "I am confident that she'll want this position. She'll get a raise, more freedom in her work, and less babysitting by you. I heard that she's also taken to teaching Sanders on her breaks so I think that she will like the teaching and supervising that comes with the job."

Grissom listened to all of this and had to agree that she would want the job. He sighed inwardly. When he had said that things were going to change this was not what he had in mind.

"So why am I here if you've already made your decision?" He wasn't going to defend the fact that he recommended Nick. That was between him and Sara and none of Ecklie's business.

Cavallo spoke up then. "Gil you needed to be aware that Sara will be offered this position. Also I think that it would be more appropriate if you were the one to present her with the option of staying on the night shift or moving to days." He handed Grissom a folder. "These are the job requirements, description, and other specifics such as hours, pay, and so on. You have until tomorrow afternoon to talk to her about this and she has two days to make a decision. If she agrees then she will start her new shift immediately, if she declines, Conrad will have to decide what to do next. Thursday morning after shift I want both of you along with Sara in my office with a decision. Tell Sara that I will want to hear her reasons for whatever she decides. Any questions?"

Ecklie shook his head and looked over at Grissom who had been completely silent throughout Cavallo's speech.

"No." Grissom answered shortly.

"Alright then I'll see you both on Thursday 7 am."

Grissom and Ecklie stood and left the office each taking off in different directions without a word to one another. He went straight to his office feeling slightly off balance. He sat down behind his desk and took off his glasses. A moment later he heard Sara's voice coming from the doorway. "Hey."

"Hi." He wasn't ready to see her yet and couldn't think of anything to say.

"How did your meeting go?" God. Did she know? He stared at her. "You know, the meeting you said you had to go to?" She didn't know. Yet.

"It…uh…it was fine." Why did he lose the ability to speak coherently around her?

Then she told him about the incident report that he had already forgotten and the conversation went from bad to worse. She could read him like a book. Now here he sat trying to figure out how to approach this situation while she went to help Warrick. He rubbed his eyes again and sighed as he picked up his phone to check in with Nick.

Michael Richardson was having the most wonderful dream with beautiful fields of flowers and his grandchildren running around like maniacs. He and his wife stood hand in handas the children laughed in delight. He turned his head to smile at his wife and a feeling of cold terror pierced his heart when he saw the look of pain cross her beautiful features as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. Suddenly a rough hand clamped down over his mouth and he was jerked out of one nightmare only to find himself in another.

Michael's eyes darted around and he let out a strangled moan as they came to rest on the barrel of the gun pointed at his face. His hand inched over to his wife and he felt her hand clasp his. He closed his eyes sending tears of relief sliding down his face.

He opened his eyes and met those of the man who held him at gunpoint. Michael shivered at the coldness he found there.

"Don't move." '

The coldness in the voice matched his eyes,' Michael thought. He shifted his gave to his wife of twenty-three years, and he almost laughed. Tears streamed out of her eyes but she still managed to glare hatefully at the man that held her down.

"Get over here." His captors voice startled him and he tried to figure out whom the guy was talking to. Michael's question was answered when a third man stepped forward and opened a black bag. He extracted a roll of duct tape and cut off a strip. He stepped over to Michael's wife, Evelyn, holding out the tape.

The man holding Michael waved the gun to get her attention. "If you scream or try anything I'll kill him," he motioned to Michael. "Understand?"

She looked at her husband and nodded slightly. The gloved hand was taken from her mouth and quickly replaced with the strip of tape. Next her hands and ankles were bound. While the cold man kept his gun on Michael the other two lifted Evelyn off of the bed and set her on the chair in the corned of the room.

One man stayed next to her while the other took the tape and covered Michael's mouth and bound his hands. The man with the gun sat on the edge of the bed. "Mr. Richardson-" Evelyn whimpered at the knowledge that the men knew who they were. "Mr. Richardson," he continued, "we need your help. We know that you are the president of the First National Bank of Las Vegas and we know that you have keys to the bank. You are going to let us in."

Michael started to shake his head and the man grabbed him by the chin. "If we have to convince you, we will." Then he pointed the gun at Evelyn. A muffled "No!" came from Michael and he began nodding his head franticly.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Another great big thank you for the encouraging reviews and even more thanks to Alison and Alicia the beta work! 

> Chapter 6
> 
> (11:55 PM)
> 
> Sara arrived at the Quickee mart and distracted to storeowner, who introduced herself as "Martha Goddamnit," while Warrick finished processing the scene. Martha was pausing for breath mid tirade when Warrick tapped Sara on the shoulder.
> 
> "All done here." She turned to look around and discovered that he had already loaded everything into the SUV.
> 
> Sara turned back to the woman in front of her. "I'm very sorry that this happened to you. Again. We will do everything possible to find the person that did this and I want to thank you for being so calm and patient with us." Sara said, resisting the urge to address her as Mrs. Goddamnit. The woman glared at Sara and Warrick as they left the store. They were both trying not to laugh out loud.
> 
> "Can you believe that? What a vocabulary."
> 
> Warrick chuckled as they climbed into the Denali. He told her what he had found at the scene and updated her on the case as they drove back to the lab. Walking down the corridor, they noticed Grissom sitting in his office. It seemed to them that he was staring into space. Warrick nodded his head toward the open door and asked, "What's with him?"
> 
> Sara shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know." They continued down the hall to process their evidence.
> 
> An hour and a half later they were finished processing and had a suspect in custody. It was the same kid that had been responsible for the first two robberies. Sara and Warrick were walking back into the lab when they saw Nick and Catherine standing in the hall laughing.
> 
> "You guys are pretty chipper for working on a DB," Sara commented.
> 
> "Blow-up doll."
> 
> "Yeah, I was just telling Nick that maybe she's available but he thinks that she's out of his league." Catherine and Sara laughed.
> 
> "Don't sell her short, Cath. I bet she could do better." Warrick slapped Nick on the shoulder.
> 
> Grissom came out of his office and spotted the group in the hall. He walked over to them. "How are your cases coming?"
> 
> "Our DB was a blow-up doll," Nick shot Catherine a warning glance and she smiled innocently.
> 
> "Our robbery is wrapped up."
> 
> "Good. Work on your other cases until something else comes in. Sara, I need to speak with you." He turned and disappeared back to his office. Her co-workers looked at her questioningly and she shrugged.
> 
> "I have no idea." She gave them a wave and trailed after Grissom.
> 
> "Sara, close the door please." She did and took a seat on a chair across from his desk. He picked up a plain manila folder and came around to sit in the chair next to hers.
> 
> "Am I suspended? Fired?" She blurted out the question that had been running through her mind.
> 
> Grissom looked up in surprise. "No. Sara I told you it wasn't bad."
> 
> "You also said 'nothing is wrong…yet.'"
> 
> He winced. "Sorry. It's about my meeting was with Carvallo and Ecklie." He paused. "Sara they want to offer you a position on the day shift. You would be second in command to Ecklie. There would also be a raise…" He trailed off unsure of what to say.
> 
> Sara just sat there shell-shocked. "They are offering me a promotion?" Grissom nodded silently. "Why not Nick? He was recommended for the Lead CSI spot."
> 
> Grissom cleared his throat. "Ecklie…didn't agree with my recommendation. He wants you." He watched her closely trying to figure out what she was thinking. He didn't have to wait long to find out.
> 
> Sara returned his stare. "Does he know why you recommended Nick?"
> 
> "No."
> 
> "Did you really choose him because he didn't want it?"
> 
> "No."
> 
> She nodded slowly. 'That's something I guess,' Sara thought. "Are you going to tell me the real reason?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly and for a moment Sara considered leaving well enough alone but she needed to know. "Grissom I'll make it easy for you. Is my performance lacking? Am I doing something wrong?"
> 
> "No, your job performance is exceptional as usual. Both of you are more than qualified for the job so it was a hard decision to make. Sara this job isn't about our personal gain, it's about finding the truth and using it to bring justice to the victims."
> 
> "You think I don't know that?"  
"Sometimes you forget. We all do."
> 
> Sara digested this information. He was right. She had caught herself caring more about how a case could help her career and less about the victim a few times. "And of course none of this bothers Ecklie because he's all about his career."
> 
> "Sara your presence on the day shift would increase their solve rate and you could teach the other CSI's how to do their jobs properly." She smiled at this. "I don't want to lose you." He swallowed hard. "I only see you at work and if you change your shift…"
> 
> "That was your choice Grissom! Remember? Besides, we rarely work together anymore and when we do -" she stopped herself from losing her temper and took a deep breath before continuing. "How long do I have to decide?"
> 
> "Carvallo wants an answer on Thursday morning." Grissom was disappointed that she didn't immediately say no but relieved that she didn't immediately say yes. He handed her a folder. "Here is the information about the position." She took the folder and started to rise from her chair, but stopped when he placed his hand on hers. "Sara there is more that we need to talk about but this isn't the right time or place."
> 
> The door to his office opened and Catherine poked her head in.
> 
> "Sorry to interrupt but a call just came in. Franklin Elementary School just exploded."
> 
> Grissom pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. You guys get over there. We'll follow you." He waited until Catherine had closed the door. "Will you have breakfast with me after shift?"
> 
> Sara hesitated. "How long do I have to decide?" She repeated her earlier question with a small smile.
> 
> He smiled back. "End of shift."
> 
> "Okay. I'll let you know."
> 
> (2:00 AM)
> 
> Grissom and Sara pulled as close to Franklin Elementary, or what was left to it, as they could. Fire trucks and police cars seemed to be everywhere. The school was in a shambles. Luckily there weren't any other structures close to the burnt building but several trees were on fire and the firemen worked quickly to put them out.
> 
> They spotted the others entering the building as the bomb squad left after having cleared the scene. They walked over quickly to catch up.
> 
> All of the windows were blown out from the explosion and the walls were charred around the frames. They looked around as they stepped inside. Debris lay everywhere and the smell of burnt wood and plastic permeated the air.
> 
> "Do you want me to take the perimeter?" Sara asked.
> 
> Grissom looked around taking in the scene. "No I want you in here. Warrick!" He called over to the man crouched next to an overturned desk. "Take the perimeter and keep an eye on the crowd. Nick take the rear of the building, Catherine take the front. Sara and I will take the inner part of the school and work our way out." Everyone nodded and set out to start their tasks.
> 
> "The blast probably came from somewhere near the center of the building judging from the lesser amount of damage around the outer rooms." Sara observed as they walked down the hall. Grissom just looked back at her with a smirk. "Oh." She smiled a little and then focused on the scene.
> 
> Evelyn Richardson sat very still watching the people moving around the room. While the three men had been taping them up she had been evaluating them. Obviously the one with the gun was the most ruthless of the three. The man standing next to her was the one that had woken her up. He seemed non-violent but she couldn't be sure. She decided that since the third man had been given very little to do and seemed to be wary of even holding the bag he was the most harmless. He was also younger that the other two if she wasn't mistaken.
> 
> Evelyn was trying to be calm and not think about what the men were going to do to Michael and it wasn't working. Tears filled her eyes as the man with the gun pulled her husband into a standing position.
> 
> "You stay with her. We'll call when we're done." The gunman propelled Michael toward the door and she could make out a muffled "I love you" come from behind the tape. The tears she had been holding back overflowed down her face.
> 
> Michael took one last look at the woman he had loved for over half of his life before he was shoved through the door and into the hallway. He prayed that her anguish filled eyes and tears would not be his last image of her. The Gun, as Michael had come to think of him, pushed him forward and he started down the hall with his hands bound together in front of him. The three of them went down the stairs and to the front door.
> 
> "Where are the keys to the bank?" Michael gestured toward the table next to the front door. The Gun picked up the keys and turned back to him. "If you try anything, Mrs. Richardson is going to die." Michael nodded his understanding and they stepped outside. The Gun held his weapon low and close to Michael's body hiding it from the view of any passerby. They walked down the sidewalk and crossed the street to his captor's car.
> 
> The Gun opened the door to the backseat on the driver's side. He motioned for Michael to climb in. Once he was in the backseat the Gun sat next to him while the silent one got in behind the wheel. The drive to the bank was silent and tense. They parked half a block away and got out. When they got to the front door of the bank a dark figure stepped out of the shadows toward them.
> 
> TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: There is one more chapter after this. Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and offered suggestions on improvement. Constructive criticism is always welcome. As always, 1000 thanks to Alison and Alicia for beta reading!

> Chapter 7
> 
> Jake tensed beside Ron and Michael Richardson as a man stepped towards them. He relaxed slightly when he recognized him. "Everything go okay at Frank's?" Jake asked, referring to Franklin Elementary School.
> 
> "Yes."
> 
> He nodded and took the keys to the bank out of his pocket. He still thought that it was odd that he hadn't been given the name of the man who had approached him about robbing the bank. "I thought we were going to meet later." He was starting to feel uneasy. He wasn't following the plan.
> 
> "I just wanted to check on the situation. Are those the keys?" Jake held them up and the other man took them. He stepped over to Michael and dangled them in front of his face. "Which one?" Michael just stared at him and he received a punch in the gut. He doubled over in pain and the man grabbed his chin in one hand and forced his head up. "Which one?" The man repeated.
> 
> Michael shakily brought his bound hands up and pointed to a key. The man turned, unlocked the front door, and led them inside. "Which way to the vault?" Michael gestured to a hallway leading to the rear of the building and tried to say something.
> 
> "Shut up," the man struck Michael again, this time backhanding him across the face. Jake and Ron looked at each other. This wasn't part of the plan either.
> 
> "Look, let's just get what we came for and get out of here." The nameless man's cold smile sent a shiver down Jake's spine. He would threaten and point a gun but he didn't sign on to hurt anyone.
> 
> They started down the hall and Jake looked over at Michael. The older man's head was bleeding where he had been struck and he was gesturing wildly at the other man's back. Jake looked over and saw that he had pulled a gun out and was holding it at his side. He looked back to Michael who was shaking his head emphatically. Jake began to sense that they wouldn't make it out of this building alive.
> 
> "How do you open it?" The question startled Jake and his head snapped around to find the gun pointed in his direction.
> 
> Michael motioned for them to take the tape off of his mouth. Jake nodded and moved toward him. "Don't try anything." He ripped the tape from Michael mouth and the older man winced in pain.
> 
> "I've been trying to tell you. All vaults are on a timed release. I can't open it. It won't open until nine AM." He looked back and forth from Jake to the other man, fearful of what would happen now that they knew they couldn't access the contents of the vault.
> 
> "Other people will be here by then." Jake looked at the exit. "We can't do it. Let's just get out of here." He glanced at the gun again and up into the face of the man holding it. Jake grew cold with fear. The man's grip had tightened on the gun so that his knuckles were a stark white and Jake wondered if the hard plastic would break. His face was flushed bright red and a vein stood out on his forehead. Jake took an involuntary step back, moving Ron back as he did so.
> 
> "Liar!" The man launched himself at Michael, taking him to the ground. Michael landed on his back with the gunman on top of him. He moved to straddle Michael's chest and began raining heavy blows on the older man's face and shoulders.
> 
> Jake stood frozen, unsure of how it had come to this. He was sprayed with blood as it was cast off of the gun and it galvanized him into action. He grabbed the hand that held the gun and tried to pull him off of Michael but the other man was unnaturally strong. Jake was shoved back into the wall. He suddenly remembered the gun he had stuck in his waistband when they had come inside. "Ron get out of here! Get them out of the house!" Ron ran for the exit as Jake pulled out his gun. He aimed at the man still pounding his fists on the now unconscious Michael. "Stop!" he screamed.
> 
> Finally his fists stopped making contact with the man under him and he turned to Jake and raised his gun squeezing the trigger repeatedly as he did. Jake felt the white-hot pain as the bullets ripped into his body and pulled the trigger on his own weapon as he fell backward into darkness.
> 
> Ron jumped into their car and sped toward the Richardson house. Once he had reached his destination he scrambled out of the driver's seat and ran into the house. He hurried upstairs and burst into the bedroom to find Evelyn untied and talking with Danny.
> 
> "What are you doing?" he yelled.
> 
> Danny jumped up. "Talking. She was scared and I wanted her to know that we aren't going to hurt anybody." He stopped and took in his brother's appearance. "What happened?"
> 
> "He went crazy."
> 
> "Jake?"
> 
> "No! The other guy went crazy! Jake told me to get you guys out of the house."
> 
> "We should call the police."
> 
> "Danny are you stupid? We'll go to prison!"
> 
> "What are we gonna do then?"
> 
> Ron thought about the question and their situation. They didn't have any money. Jake might be dead. Mr. And Mrs Richardson now knew their names. Shit. "Alright," he sighed, defeated. "Lets call the police."
> 
> Up until then Evelyn had remained quiet. "What about my husband? What happened to Michael?"
> 
> Ron looked at her. "I don't know."
> 
> (3:00 AM)
> 
> The team of CSI's were packing everything up when Brass walked over to them. "A call just came in." They all looked at him expectantly. "It may be related to the bombing. Three guys broke into the home of the president of the First National Bank and tied them up. One guy stayed with the wife while the other two took the president to the bank. I've got officers headed to the bank now. That's were I'm going."
> 
> Grissom nodded and said, "We'll meet you there." He turned back to Catherine and Warrick. "You two finish processing the evidence from the school." They nodded and started moving all of the evidence bags into one vehicle. "Nick, go get Greg and go on over to the home. Interview the wife and process the house." Nick grabbed his kit and went to his Denali. Grissom turned to Sara. "We're going to the bank."
> 
> Five minutes later they were walking into the bank. Sara looked around and saw Brass kneeling next to a man that looked to be in his mid-fifties. His face was swollen and bloody. He appeared to be in shock. Brass said something to him and hurried over to where they were standing.
> 
> "Hey. Ambulance is on the way. His face looks like raw hamburger." He winced and turned to a hallway. "The other two are back here." They walked down the short hallway and came to the vault. Lying dead on the floor in the small entryway were two men both wearing ski masks. Two semi-automatic guns lay near the bodies.
> 
> Grissom looked back to the room they had come from. "Is that the president?" Brass nodded. "Did he touch anything?"
> 
> "He says no. He just crawled as far as he could to the front office. He's in a lot of pain and keeps asking to see his wife." With that he started back to finish speaking with the survivor of the shoot out.
> 
> "Sara go ahead and get started. I'm going to interview the president." She nodded and opened her case as he left the room.
> 
> As Grissom was finishing with his questions the EMTs and the coroner arrived at the same time. The EMTs moved to Michael to begin assessment and Sara came toward Grissom. She spotted the coroner, David, and went to talk with him first. Grissom observed the techs while they worked. One of them looked strangely familiar but Grissom couldn't put his finger on it. He looked away from the younger man as Sara and David walked in his direction.
> 
> "They're all yours David," Sara was saying.
> 
> "Thanks Sara." David smiled at her and went to start packing up the bodies. At the mention of Sara's name the young EMT looked up in surprise.
> 
> "Hi Sara."
> 
> She turned around to identify the speaker and froze when she realized who it was. "Hank." Until now she had been lucky enough not to have to speak to him. 'Figures,' she thought, 'he would have to show up on the night that Grissom finally asked me out. Sort of. And I haven't even answered him yet! Now I probably won't have to.' She rolled her eyes.
> 
> Sensing that she wasn't going to say anymore, Hand turned back to his task. Grissom was frowning in recognition. This was the 'not a relationship' guy. Grissom assessed the EMT. 'Kind of puny,' he thought as he smirked.
> 
> Michael was loaded onto a stretcher and Hank turned to Sara once more and quietly spoke to her. "I've missed you. Maybe we could get some coffee later?"
> 
> Sara looked at him like he had sprouted horns. "No." His eyes widened in shock at her bluntness.
> 
> "I'm -" He was interrupted when Grissom stepped forward and took Sara's arm pulling her to his side.
> 
> "She said no." He gave Hank one last glare and led Sara across the room still holding her arm possessively. Hank watched them and headed for the exit. 'That's right, keep walking wussy boy,' Grissom thought nastily. Once he had left the building Grissom looked at Sara who was watching him with amusement. He cleared his throat. "Have you decided about breakfast yet?"
> 
> She smiled. "I'll have breakfast with you." He breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't blown it with his macho act.
> 
> "Good." They finished processing the bank and made their way back to the lab.
> 
> After the evidence was logged and distributed to trace and DNA everyone met in the conference room. Nick started. "Jake Stevens, Ronald and Daniel Burk halter - brothers." He spread out photos of each suspect.
> 
> "That's one of the dead guys at the bank." Sara pointed to the picture of Jake.
> 
> Nick nodded. "These three broke into the Richardson home. Jake and Ronald took Michael Richardson to the bank while Danny kept an eye on Evelyn Richardson. According to Ron and Danny they were hired by some guy who wouldn't give his name. That is who Jake and Ron met at the bank."
> 
> Catherine provided another picture. "A one Robert Inge. He's the one that set the bomb at Franklin Elementary."
> 
> "A distraction so they could rob the bank." Warrick interjected.
> 
> "Apparently none of them realized that banks are now on time release."
> 
> "And that is what set Robert off. When he found out that his brilliant plan was less than brilliant he took it out on Michael Richardson. According to Ron, Jake tried to stop Robert, and sent Ron back to the house. They must have shot each other after he had run out."
> 
> "Danny convinced Ron to call the police. Mrs. Richardson is actually worried about what will happen to them." Brass came into the room. "Mr. Richardson has a broken nose, both clavicles are broken and several ribs. But he'll live.
> 
> The case was solved. All they had left to do was tie up loose ends. Grissom looked at the clock. The shift was over in ten minutes. "This has been a long night. Go ahead and take off early. If anything else comes in the day shift can handle it." One by one they said their goodnights and left the room until only Sara and Grissom remained.
> 
> She quirked an eyebrow at him.
> 
> "Hungry?" He asked.
> 
> She smiled and stood up. "Where do you want to go?"
> 
> "My place," he surprised them both by saying.
> 
> "Okay."


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Changes

Author: Joy

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't even own a car.

Spoilers: All episodes up to and including 'Bloodlines.'

A/N: Once again a huge Thank You to everyone who has read/reviewed and followed the story. As always Alison and Alicia are the most awesome of betas. Any mistakes you may find are all mine and I don't share well with others.

On a side note the case in this story is based on an actual event that happened in my hometown, though no one died in the real case.

The songs in this chapter are obviously not mine. I'm no good at verse. The song that Grissom listens to is 'Talk to Me' by Keri Noble from her album 'Fearless.' I love this song and think it fits perfectly with some G/S situations. The song that Sara listens to is 'Heartbreaker' by Pat Benetar, another song that I love. Anyway, on to the final chapter.

**Chapter 8**

Grissom drove to his townhouse with the radio turned on to drown his doubts. He was at a stoplight when a song caught his attention.

There you are again

I see you all the time

We haven't really met yet

But you know I don't mind

Cuz I think today's the day

I'm gonna go right up and say to you

Would it be alright

If I called you up sometime

He liked the melody and voice of the woman singing. He looked sharply at the radio dial when he heard the next words.

_ There you go again_

I let you get away

At least I've got more time

To think of what I might say like

Couldn't we be good or maybe

Don't you think that we should find

Some quiet little place

Where we make love all day

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as visions of making love to Sara filled his head.

_ Come and talk to me_

What are you waiting for

Cuz I can see you passing every day

And I'm always wanting more

Come and talk to me

What are you gonna do

Cuz I can't seem to get the nerve

To get off my own ass

And come and talk to you

Grissom was starting to feel a little creeped out. That verse seemed to describe his state of mind perfectly.

_ You know I love your type_

You look like you've been up all night

And yet somehow still look beautiful

You do it all at the same time

Whenever you walk by

You always look me in the eyes

And in that moment I know

You're thinking the same thing as I…am

_ It seems to always be that_

I let the good things pass me by

Because I let my fear stop me

From trying, but not this time.

"Not this time," he echoed. He smiled and turned into his parking space, now in a hurry to get inside and prepare for Sara's arrival.

Sara finished some paperwork she had yet to file and grabbed her things from her locker. As she passed the break room she heard the robbery case mentioned on the television. She thought about the two young men sitting in jail right now, waiting to be charged. They had cut a deal with the D.A. and would hopefully get lesser charges. Since they had committed several federal offenses however, there would be no telling. Shoving those thoughts aside Sara left the building. Once she was settled in the front seat of her car she hesitated before she put the key in the ignition. She was nervous. Grissom had invited her to breakfast. At his place. Maybe it was because he wanted privacy when he told her how much he loved her and couldn't live without her. She snorted. Delusions of grandeur. He probably wanted to tell her that nothing would ever happen between them and didn't want to be in public in case she made a scene. As if she would.

She shook her head and started the car. There was a slow song on the radio and she was not in the mood. Sara changed the station to classic rock and Pat Benetar blared from the speakers. "That's more like it."

_ Your love is like a tidal wave, spinning over my head_

Drownin' me in your promises, better left unsaid

You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy

The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Don't you mess around with me!

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Don't you mess around -NO NO NO!

Your love has set my soul on fire, burnin' out of control

You taught me the ways of desire, now its takin' its toll

You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy

The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Don't you mess around with me!

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Don't you mess around - NO NO NO!

Sara was singing along at the top of her lungs, completely engrossed in the words that describe Grissom so accurately. 

_ You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy_

The invincible winner, and you know you were born to be

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Don't you mess around with me!

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Don't you mess around with me!

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Don't you mess around with me!

You're a Heartbreaker

Dream Maker, Love Taker

Heartbreaker!

Sara sighed as the song faded into a new tune. 'Must be kismet,' she thought wryly. Fifteen minutes later she pulled up to Grissom's townhouse. She took a deep breath and went to knock on the door.

Grissom was making coffee when he heard a soft knock on the door. He froze, still holding a heaping spoonful of coffee grounds. His heart started beating again and he dumped the grounds into the filter all the while cursing his nervousness. This was Sara for heaven's sake. He went to open the door and paused to run a hand over his beard. He opened the door and smiled at an empty doorway. He stuck his head into the hall and saw her disappear into the stairwell.

"Sara!" He jogged to the door that had closed behind her and jerked it open and ran right into the woman he was chasing. The sudden contact knocker her off balance. As she started to fall backward Grissom caught her by the arms and hauled her body up against his. He leaned his forehead against hers and took a shuddering breath. "Sorry."

"If you didn't want to talk you could have just said so. There's no reason to throw me down the stairs," she joked. Breathlessly. Her hands which had clutched his shirt in panic now relaxed to rest with her palms on his chest.

He smirked at her remark. "Where were you going?"

She avoided his eyes. "You took a while to answer the door and I thought maybe you weren't home."

His eyes narrowed as he leaned back to study her. "My car is in the parking lot, and I didn't take _that_ long."

She cleared her throat, embarrassed, and looked at him trying to think of another excuse. Then she rolled her eyes and sighed. "I got nervous and decided to leave," she admitted.

He smiled. "I'm not entirely prepared for this either. Come on let's go eat. We'll just ease into it." She looked at him skeptically but followed him back to his door. She already missed the feel of his chest under her hands. They entered and he led her to the kitchen. Sara leaned against the counter while he finished making the coffee. "What can I do?"

"Watch."

'Gladly,' she thought as he bent over to get a griddle from the cupboard and presented her with a fine view of his rear end. He looked behind him to ask her a question and caught the direction of her gaze. Smirking he watched her face as he flexed his ass.

She blinked. It was then that she realized how long he had been bent over and knew that she was caught. She lifted her eyes and her mortified gaze met his amused one.

"See anything you like?" He asked with a grin as he straightened.

"Yes." She answered him truthfully even as the blood rushed to her face. Then she added, "I've always wanted a cast iron griddle." She pursed her lips, repressing a smile at the blank look of confusion on his face. Then he looked at the griddle in his hands and it was his turn to be embarrassed.

"Oh."

Sara stopped trying to hide her smile and let a laugh escape. Grissom looked back at her and realized that she was kidding. He shook his head in amusement and finished gathering the ingredients for the pancakes. Sara wanted to kiss him. She just couldn't resist him when he looked so confused; he was just too damn sexy. 'Let's just get everything straightened out. Then I'll kiss him,' she thought to herself.

He turned to find her practically leering at him and raised his eyebrows in question. She carefully composed her features into a blank mask. "Are you sure I can't help with anything? Watching doesn't seem to be working out very well," she pointed out.

He laughed. "You can pour us some coffee. Then you can get the fruit out of the fridge." She nodded and set about her tasks while he finished cooking. A short while later they were seated at his table eating breakfast. She was halfway through when she looked up.

"This is really good."

"Thank you. Why are you so surprised?"

"I don't know. I just never pictured you being…domestic."

"Oh? And how did you picture me?" He asked teasingly.

She blushed and returned to eating without responding. Occasionally they glanced up at each other during the remainder of the meal and each time Sara could feel her face heating up again. She wondered if he had really expected her to answer his question.

After the dishes were done and they had fresh coffee they sat together on the couch. Grissom looked at his hands for a long moment. He turned his head to look at her and uttered her three favorite words; "You were right."

"About what?" Now it was her turn to be confused.  
He gazed longingly at her, letting his eyes drift over her face. "It was my choice not to see you outside of work. It was a bad choice made out of an attempt at self preservation." She opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand. "Please. Let me finish." She nodded silently. "Sara, I didn't want to let you in. I didn't want to let myself care about you. The truth is that while I was so busy trying not to care about you; I fell in love with you. I've come to the conclusion that even if it doesn't last I want to be with you while I can. If I still can, I want you to know that won't change no matter what you decide about the shift. If you still want me, we will work it out." He watched her reaction.

"Grissom I don't think it's fair that you've doomed the relationship before it has even started. In case you haven't noticed, I love you. I have for the longest time. Sometimes I have absolutely no idea why! You're stubborn as hell, especially about 'this.'" He nodded his head sadly, thinking that it was too late even if she did claim to love him.

She stood up and slid onto his lap. His arms came around her automatically and he looked up at her in surprise. Sara took his face in her hands and continued. "You are also the smarted, sexiest, most handsome and compassionate man that I have ever known."

She kissed him lightly on the corner of his mouth. "This is going to be a big change." She ran her tongue along his lower lip and kissed the other side of his mouth, teasing him.

"I'm starting to like change," he said as he captured her mouth with his for a passionate kiss. "I love you, Sara."

End


End file.
